USA Fencing director of sports strategy retires

November 13 - Jim Page has retired from his position as USA Fencing's director of sports strategy following London 2012.

The 71-year-old former Olympian in Nordic combined started work at USA Fencing on a several week contract in 2006 but continued work at the sport's national governing body as high performance director through to June of 2007, leaving to help Team USA in the lead-up to the Beijing 2008 Olympics.

He returned to USA Fencing again in August 2010, first as the high performance director and later as the director of sport strategy.

Page (pictured top), who is stepping down to spend more time with his wife, Ginny, and their grandchildren, said one of his best memories in the sport is watching gold and bronze medallist Mariel Zagunis, silver and bronze medallist Sada Jacobson and double bronze medallist Becca Ward make history with their sweep of the podium in Beijing.

"It's been a great couple years and I've had the chance to work with some amazing athletes and coaches and the talent in USA Fencing just keeps getting better," Page said.

"I've had some memories that will last a lifetime and I'm proud that our athletes are continuing to succeed and make the United States a real force on the international level."

Jim Page says his best memories at USA Fencing include watching Mariel Zagunis (centre), Sada Jacobson (left) and Becca Ward (right) take gold, silver and bronze, respectively, in the women's sabre, as well as the bronze in the team sabre event at the Beijing 2008 Olympics

"Even beyond fencing, Jim has had an amazing impact on amateur sports in the United States as a whole," he said.

"He's a person of high personal integrity whose hallmarks have been a deep commitment to competitive excellence and a dedication to the Olympic ideals.

"Throughout his tenure, Jim's priority, first and foremost, has been to make sure athletes receive the best coaching, meaningful training opportunities, support from the US Olympic Committee [USOC] and positive experiences.

"Under Jim's leadership USA Fencing has developed a closer relationship with the USOC and he has proudly upheld a culture of sustained international competitive excellence."

Contact the writer of this story at emily.goddard@insidethegames.biz

About the author

Emily Goddard is a subeditor and reporter for insidethegames.biz. She has broken a number of exclusives including that News International had lost their exclusive deal with London 2012 following the phone-hacking scandal that rocked Britain in 2011, Richard Caborn's future as chairman of the Amateur Boxing Association of England was in danger, and she was also the journalist to report the first comments from the IOC following the Russian anti-gay legislation.

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